When You’re Broadsided and Bewildered
At 6 PM, Saturday night, a middle-aged man with shoulder-length shaggy hair approached Nick with a question. “How many angel fish can I have in my 60-gallon tank?” Nick gave him the answer he learned from his PetSmart training staff. “For a 60-gallon tank, we recommend no more than 4 angelfish because they are territorial […]
When Mother’s Day Reminds You of Death—The Way to Find Life
Mother’s Day, 2002 I called my mother to make sure she received the dozen red carnations I sent as a surprise. “They’re gorgeous! But you said you weren’t sending me flowers for Mother’s Day this year because of the bench.” “I know. But you’ve always told me flowers should be given to the living, not […]
Dust to Dust And The Peace that Comes with Letting Go
They carried her to the altar, their mother. They carried her, all ash in a small wooden box. They covered her with a white cloth, embroidered with a cross. A cross. Where Christ paid for our ultimate reconciliation—restored relation between holy God and sinner. Between sinners and sinners . . . All watched […]
Left and Right Wings (Raw Writing–Unapologetically Unedited)
I flew to St. Martin on the day of the presidential inauguration. Leaving my home at four in the morning with a negative six degrees Fahrenheit freezing my bare ankles, I drove forty-five minutes south and parked my car in Remote Lot A. Thankfully, the airport shuttle had just arrived at the shelter. A young […]
If You Need Some Love To Set You Free
I hired a prisoner yesterday. Well, actually, a former prisoner. Just out of the slammer. Spent two years behind bars and that wasn’t his first stint—in prison, that is. $150 to his name. Rent due September 1. No job yet but he’s hunting hard. Anyone want to hire a prisoner set free? Yeah, he’s made […]
At the End of My Rope and What Came Next
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 I have a love/hate relationship with spiritual growth. Actually, I prefer to do things I love. I prefer to […]
On Peace and the Puppy
I never thought a little Yorkshire terrier puppy named Baker could bring me a spiritual gift. Granted, he’s the most adorable dog I’ve ever seen, especially when he’s wearing his red, fur-lined coat with Velcro tummy strap and two elastic drawstrings personalizing his fit at the hip. But . . . He’s a d-o-g. Nevertheless, this […]
A Letter for My Father (and maybe you?)
Dear Dad, We have history, you and me. Like the time you made that multi-colored Styrofoam tower with me and it reached clear up to the ceiling. Even you needed a chair to place that last block, though in my mind you could touch the clouds without one. That’s what five year-old girls think of […]
On Our Knees—Together, Part 2
We need to stand in the gap for the vulnerable and give them the best news of life—the gospel. This piece is the continuation of Wednesday’s post about the boy who threatened to kill our son, his friend, his biological father, and himself. He had a plan. He was serious. He was a desperate, hurting soul. […]
Prickly Pear
Even prickly pears bloom. My mother passed away in the dark of the night, just a few hours after Mother’s Day ended. Thirteen years ago, this year. I talked to her early on Mother’s Day. She was so excited about the bouquet of red carnations I ordered and sent the day before. I had told […]
Connection with God and Others
She opens a spiral notebook and shows me a cross she drew. I saw her pain on the page. Not like she fell apart or anything. No one would ever know. I’ve known her for a long time, but I’ve not really known her. It’s just that when one has been hurt so deeply for […]
Coyote Ugly
The day was like any other. Except that it wasn’t. As usual, my morning ritual is to wake to a pot of fresh Starbucks Verona Roast, programmed to brew at precisely 5:00 so when I roll out of bed at 5:10 I don’t have to wait for my first sip of the new day. I […]